One in four people moved intrastate in Western Australia (Media Release)

MEDIA RELEASE

October 6, 2004

Embargoed: 11:30 AM (AEST)

150/2004

One in four people moved intrastate in Western Australia

One in four (25%) Western Australians moved house at some time in the 12 months prior to Census night 2001, according to new analysis by the Australian Bureau of Statistics released today.

However, this percentage varied widely across the different Statistical Divisions (SD) within Western Australia.

The Kimberley SD was the most popular area to move to, with the largest proportion (25%) of usual residents reporting that their place of usual residence 12 months prior to the Census was in a different statistical division to that on Census night.

The smallest proportion of movement was reported by usual residents in the Upper Great Southern SD where 11% had a lived in a different statistical division 12 months prior to Census night.

Over 2,100 more people moved into the South West SD from elsewhere in WA than people who moved out to other parts of the state. This was the largest proportional net increase in population from intrastate migration across Statistical Divisions in WA.The Upper Great Southern SD experienced the greatest proportional net decrease in population due to intrastate migration (4%).

This analysis in the publication Western Australian Statistical Indicators explores the demographic characteristics of "movers out" and "movers into" selected statistical divisions, compared with the characteristics of the total populations of those regions. The article also analyses the age and sex distribution of these movers and their employment characteristics, including industry and occupation.

Awareness of the dynamics of migration, the changes to the distribution and structure of populations that stem from it, is important to the planning processes of all levels of government and private enterprises.

Further information including other data on state accounts, consumer price index, construction, tourism, labour market, finance, trade, population, crime, and environment statistics are in Western Australian Statistical Indicators, September 2004(cat. no. 1367.5).